Porsche Takes Fourth Evo Joker for 963 With Aero Update

Photo: John Dagys

Porsche has taken its fourth Evo joker for its 963 LMDh car, following a “quite extensive” aerodynamic update to the car for the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

The German manufacturer’s updated GTP class challenger broke cover on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, site of this weekend’s IMSA-sanctioned test, which will see the updates debut on both of the factory Porsche Penske Motorsport entries.

JDC-Miller Motorsports’ privateer-run Porsche, meanwhile, will not run the updates this weekend.

It’s understood the aero updates are primarily focused on the nose, rear tail and engine cover, with a re-profiled splitter and larger diffuser strakes the most prominent changes, along with the removal of the so called ‘cheese wedges’ at the rear deck of the car.

The aero update is the 963’s fourth joker, with separate suspension-related updates rolled out at the start of the 2024 and 2025 seasons, respectively, along with a re-profiling of the rear bodywork and diffuser area that also debuted this year.

According to Penske Racing President Jonathan Diuguid, the reason to make the update was to address a “combination of things.”

“Obviously all of the cars had to go through re-homologation at Windshear this year,” he told Sportscar365. “It’s in relation to that. Some [is] visible from the outside. It’s bodywork updates and things like that.

“It’s quite extensive. Some parts of the regulations didn’t change, underwing shapes and things like that, but the parts that can change were changed.”

Porsche LMDh factory director Urs Kuratle added: “The reason why we entered the wind tunnel is because the [aero] window shifted.

“The first target was to bring it into the window. Then obviously everyone tries to optimize it, optimizing the position inside that window covers your goals that you have. That’s what we did.”

While Porsche Penske completed a brief rollout with the updated package, Friday and Saturday’s running for GTP machinery will mark its first proper test, where five of its drivers are on hand to tackle driving duties.

“We’re looking forward to testing it on the track,” said Kuratle. “The aero [change has also led to] some mechanical things. We have some brackets and things at the back, which you can call it.”

The Porsche 963 is now the LMDh with the most jokers used to date, with the car only permitted one more, as well as a car re-homologation, until the end of the 2027 season.

However, a new stipulation in the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar technical regulations states that additional jokers “can be granted for a demonstrated significant lack of performance as determined by governing body.”

IMSA has yet to release its version of the 2026 GTP technical regulations but is understood to be in lock-step with the WEC in terms of technical matters.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John